As is known, bariatric surgery (frequently referred to as weight-loss surgery) includes a variety of procedures performed on people who are morbidly obese. One commonly performed procedure is referred to as a sleeve gastrectomy and entails reducing the size of the stomach through removal of a portion of it. In particular, a large portion of the stomach following the stomach's lesser curve is resected, typically laparoscopically, and the open edges of the remaining portion of the patient's stomach are then attached, e.g., stapled, together to form a tube or “sleeve”, leaving the patient with a stomach which is substantially smaller, e.g., about 25% of its original size.
Heretofore, sleeve gastrectomies have been accomplished by introducing a Bougie (esophageal dilator) of a specific size into the stomach via the esophagus so that it is disposed along the lesser curvature of the stomach. When in place, it provides a guide where the stomach is to be resected. The resection is typically accomplished via the use of a cutting stapler.
While the instruments used in the prior art are generally suitable for their intended purposes, they nevertheless leave much to be desired from the standpoint of integrating many of the various functions that need to be performed into one device for performing those functions. United States Published Application 2011/0288576 A1 discloses a Bougie gastric tube which is arranged to perform the function of ensuring patency of the esophagus and that the integrity of the stomach's attachment to the esophagus, serving as a guide for the amount of stomach that can be removed and testing the integrity of the suture or staple line.
While the Bougie tube disclosed in the forgoing application may be generally suitable for its intended purpose, it still leaves much to be desired from the standpoints of integrating all of the procedures necessary for a sleeve gastrectomy into one device and for providing a good visual indication of the line along which the stomach is to be resected to enable such action to be readily accomplished and to provide an instrument which is resistant to becoming stuck in the stomach.
Thus, a need exists for systems and instrument which address those needs. The subject invention does that.